• Volunteers are required to complete three hours of volunteer work in a 90-day period to stay active in our program.
• All of our volunteers must be 16+ years of age to deal directly with the animals.
• Volunteers must submit an application online or submit a completed application to the shelter in person.
• Volunteers are required to pay a $30 fee to cover the cost of a volunteer t-shirt, a name tag, and the volunteer handbook. Fees must be paid at orientation by cash or credit card only.
• Volunteers must attend a mandatory orientation and buddy training session before being able to volunteer independently.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept court-ordered community service volunteer requests

There are so many ways to help and apply your special skills! Please note you must be at least 16 years old* to participate in our Adult Volunteer Program.

*Requires a consent form from a parent/guardian.

• Housekeeping
• Maintenance
• Special Events
• Animal Socialization
• Student Internships

For details on what each volunteer opportunity entails or other inquiries please contact: volunteers@hamiltonhumane.com.

HSHC offers a Student Volunteer Program for those students in need of completing service hours for their class requirements or club service projects.  Students who wish to enter this program will be able to assist HSHC with a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Opportunities include but are not limited to:

• Support Help at our facility doing tasks such as laundry, dishes, cleaning, working in our food storage room, and helping us maintain our grounds.
• Assisting the staff in various office tasks.
• Assisting us in keeping our off-site storage units clean and organized.
• Assisting at off-site events.

Students entering the program will be required to attend a New Volunteer Orientation and provide a copy of their school or organization service hour requirements to the Volunteer Program Manager.  While volunteering the student will also be required to log their service hours into Volgistics.

HSHC offers a New Volunteer Package that includes a Volunteer T-shirt (of color choice) and Name Badge for $25.00.  Those participating in our Student Volunteer Program are not required to purchase this package.  Students that choose not to purchase the package will be provided with a Volunteer T-shirt that will be required to be left at our facility and we will launder for their use.

Students entering the HSHC Student Volunteer Program will not be permitted to work directly with the animals in our care, however once students have completed their required service hours, HSHC welcomes students to continue volunteering with us and will give them opportunity to take our Dog and Cat Handling Classes (if over the age of 16) to be allowed to work directly with our animals.

For additional information or questions about our Student Volunteer Program please contact the Volunteer Program Manager.

Our Amazon Wish List is a great place to start. Coordinating fundraisers, donation drives, or car washes for the shelter are other great ways to support our four-legged friends.

Volunteers as young as 12 can also help with onsite tasks such as laundry, dishes, and window-cleaning. (Please remember that all volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times while working at the shelter.)

Another unique opportunity for our youngest volunteers is to work with their family to become a foster home for sick or recovering animals. Please keep in mind that animals in our foster care system must be housed until they are well, even if that time extends beyond required service hours. Find out more about our Foster Program.